Meet Me at Infinity ➵ Ashton Irwin

[3] Vanessa Carlton

{Ashton}

“There are people in this lifetime that we should never meet” – Vanessa Carlton

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I feel like a bit of a dick as I watch Ellie walk down the path, her hands stuffed into her jacket pockets and her head turned down towards the pavement as she kicks pebbles with the toe of her boot. A breeze sends a piece of her long brown hair flying out around her, but she batts it back in place with a disgruntle kind of annoyance.

Maybe I should’ve been nicer too her, I think as I turn away and start back down the road to my house. I was pretty harsh.

That thought tumbles around in my mind the entire ten or so minute walk back home. I nearly walk past the gate I’m so deep in thought, but I remember just as I pass the peeling eggshell-white fence. I stop and push it open gently, and the gate creaks on its hinges like always as I close it back behind me.

I make my way up the short cobblestone path and onto the deck, the second step on the small flight of stairs creaking under my weight as I push off it. The wind chime that’s been here since we bought it but none of us could be bothered to take down spirals and jingles in the wind, and the dying pot of basil near the deckchair seems to have become even more dead, if that’s even possible.

I make a mental note to try and see if a good water will bring it back from the edges of death as I knock loudly on the door, knowing that Luke or Calum are probably listening to loud music and Michael is asleep.

After a long ten seconds it swings open, revealing Calum’s grinning face behind the flyscreen. ‘Hey, Ashton,’ he says as he stands back and lets me inside. I look around as I wipe my feet on the doormat. ‘How was the meet? Were there any sexy old ladies you’ve got your eye on?’

‘Piss off,’ I say to Calum, who only grins even more. I decide not to mention Ellie, so instead I ruffle his hair, despite his protests, and move over to the kitchen. I sling my backpack over a breakfast bar stool and see Michael standing behind a pot of something, stirring while flicking through his phone.

‘Hey, what’re you cooking?’ I ask as I wander over to him. He looks up, sniffing and flicking his now white-blonde hair to the side. I look over his shoulder and find myself looking at a sea of cheese, cream, and pasta, while Michael, with obvious boredom, mixes it around with a long wooden spoon.

As he mixes, he locks his phone and looks at me. ‘It was supposed to be Carbonara, but then there wasn’t any bacon and it kind of turned into macaroni and cheese. With extra cheese.’

I laugh, then turn to go find Luke. ‘How nutritional,’ I call back and Michael who simply shakes his head and continues stirring.

Luke’s not in the TV room, so I wander up the stairs, taking them two at a time, and poke my head into his and Calum’s bedroom. They’re sharing at the moment, because the house is too small but it’s the only one we could find in Sydney near all our families for a good rent price. We’d been living here since last December, and we’d probably be moving out soon anyway, to go back to L.A. Although it was further away from our families, it was where all the work was.

I notice Luke curled up underneath the covers, the lights off, the blue light from his phone illuminating his face amongst the shadows. He seems rather concentrated on whatever he’s looking at, but Luke’s always like that with his phone so I lope over to his bed anyway.

‘LUKE!’ I roar, then jump onto his bed. We both sail into the air and then back onto the bed, laughing and yelling and making useless threats.

Luke pushes me off, and I tumble onto the ground. ‘Ashton, you dick, get off my bed!’ He whines, trying to keep the laugh out of his voice.